Australia’s Defending World Champion Mollie O’Callaghan Throws A Scare Into The Dolphins Camp A Month Out From Fukuoka
Australia’s defending 100m freestyle champion Mollie O’Callaghan is expected to take her place in the Dolphins team for next month’s World Aquatics Championships in Japan, despite twisting her kneecap in a warm up stretching session.
The 19-year-old threw a scare into the St Peters Western (SPW) training group in Brisbane last Thursday when the Dolphins star freestyler clutched at her knee as she went through her regular warm up routine.
Australian head coach Rohan Taylor visited coach Dean Boxall’s SPW session last night and is quietly confident that one of his star attractions will recover in time to take her place in Fukuoka when the meet starts on July 23.
“Mollie was in the middle of a stretching session and tweaked her kneecap which popped out – but (luckily) there is no structural damage – she has undergone some precautionary measures and Dean has had to modify her training, but we expect her to be right to race,” Taylor told Swimming World.
“She is in water and is already building back up to get ready for Worlds and is training with modified pull work and not so much kick –there is a bit to go but and she is (certainly) relieved as we all are and (thankfully) there is a good month to go before the meet..
“Mollie has the St Peters team around her – including the QAS Performance Sports staff with Dean leading that, so she is in good hands – and members of that group are also on the Australian team who will follow her progress.
“We now just have to manage it –something that’s going to take some time and we have to keep moving forward and get her right. Barring any hiccups she will be right to go..the positive thing is she is still able to train and is not out of the water.”
O’Callaghan, ranked number one in the world in the 100 and 200m freestyle after the recent Australian Trials, is a key individual chance to defend her 100m crown from Budapest last year and add an historic 200m victory as well.
And she is also an important cog in so many of Australia’s relays – the world record holding 4×100 and 4x200m freestyle and the medley relay squad as well.
The Dolphins will depart Brisbane for Tokyo on July 8 before moving into their staging camp in near-by Saga and will travel to Fukuoka on July 21, just two days before the meet starts with O’Callaghan set to begin her program on Day One with the 4x100m freestyle relay, with the women’s 100m backstroke heats on day two, the 200m freestyle heats on day three and the women 100m freestyle heats and 4x200m freestyle on day four.
All the best.